Sorrow
by larxellover812
Summary: Zelda and Link are left alone on the surface after Demise is gone. All is peaceful for a time, but peace gets boring eventually... this is when Aishou came along.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, Lex here. This is my first story! Well, I'm considering it my first story, since this is the first time I've gotten past three chapters. I'd really appreciate feedback, so long as it's at least constructive. I really hope you enjoy, either way.

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><p>(Link's POV)<p>

"I think I want to stay here for the rest of my life, protecting the Triforce and the Master Sword. Link... what will you do?"

Time stopped for me then. Nothing could make me happier than spending my life on the surface with Zelda, my childhood friend whom I'd defeated darkness itself for. To think she was the reincarnation of Hylia, the great goddess... I'd do everything in my power to protect her. I was so wrapped up in these thoughts that I didn't realize our Loftwings had returned to Skyloft without us, as they seemed to realize we weren't coming back. From that day, everything would change, but for the better. Groose returned home, old Impa was gone... it was just us.

With the help of my sailcloth, I got us both back down from the statue of the goddess safely and into the temple. Demise wouldn't be rising again anytime soon. However, something unexpected would happen in less time than anticipated.

Years passed complacently. Zelda and I grew into adults together. We became closer, as she admitted she'd wanted to be more than my childhood friend for a while. All was peaceful during those years. We enjoyed our time together, but it felt like we were... waiting. Waiting for something to happen. It certainly happened.

One night, as I was doing a few chores outside the temple, I noticed an odd figure on the ground not far from the entrance. It didn't look human, but it was certainly alive... I approached the creature with caution, unsure of what I was getting myself into. As I drew nearer, I could hear soft whimpering that sounded like it was coming from a girl, likely about the same age as Zelda and I were by then.

"Hey, hey..." I tried calling out to her. She stiffened and tried to crawl away, but she collapsed only a few paces away.

"There's nothing to be afraid of..." I murmured as I got close again. I crouched near what I assumed what her dark-haired head, and she looked up at me. I couldn't help but think she was beautiful, terrified as she was... she had a face naturally shaped for beauty.

"D-Don't..." she cried, withdrawing away from me.

"I won't hurt you. I want to help. Will you let me take you to safety?"

She seemed to actually think about this for a moment. "No more m-monsters... Please, get me away from them..." she whimpered, pulling herself up into a sitting position. I held a hand out to her, and she eyed it almost suspiciously before shakily placing her own in my palm. I helped her up and offered an arm for support as we walked back into the temple.

Zelda was curious about the woman, but she kept her distance for the stranger's sake. The poor girl was still terrified and had no idea where she was. I gave her a warm meal and let her have my bed for the night, knowing Zelda would likely let me share hers. She ate like she'd never eaten before and was out like a light.

"Any idea who she is?" Zelda asked once we were relaxing for the night and the strange girl had fallen asleep.

"Not a clue. She's obviously fallen victim to monster attacks, though I'm not sure where she came from in her condition. Faron isn't a volatile place anymore, and it hasn't been for years."

"Maybe she'll open up to us, in time..."

"I hope so," I agreed. "Something about her makes me want to help her."

"Poor thing... I wonder if she's ever really had a home?"

"Perhaps we can ask her tomorrow. Get some rest, my goddess."

It was a name I'd taken to calling Zelda immediately after we started living here. She hated it at first, but eventually she stopped caring so much when I called her my goddess. She just giggled at me and snuggled up close for the night.

About three hours into the night, I was woken by shouting.

I jumped out of bed and drew the sword I'd made with my free time, worried something had gotten into the temple. I stalked around, looking for the source, until I came across the strange girl I'd found hours earlier. She was writing like thorns had grown around her heart and crying out in her sleep. I sheathed my sword and shook her shoulder lightly to wake her. She flailed her arms, almost hitting me, but as soon as she realized it was only me, she hunched over and started to sob.

"Hey, don't cry..." I tried, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me and cried until she was reduced to small shudders. Zelda had roused and come to investigate by then as well, and she knelt in front of the girl.

"We'll keep you safe," she cooed, placing a hand on the stranger's knee and rubbing tiny circles. "May I ask what your name is?"

After a few moments of trying to control her breathing, she whispered, "Aishou."

"Aishou... that's quite the unusual name. My name is Zelda. This is Link."

Aishou watched Zelda as she introduced me, as if trying to read her expression. She seemed to decide that Zelda was worthy of her trust, and she relaxed a little.

"I-I think I'm ready to sleep again..." she said in a tiny voice.

"Okay..." I shifted away from her and off the bed to let her lie back down. She looked fragile how she was, half-starved and scared to death. I felt something almost... paternal for her. I wanted to nurse her back to health.

After the first nightmare, she slept through the night, if fitfully. The nights continued this way, but slowly, as we earned more of her trust and as she regained her health, they diminished, and eventually they were a monthly occurrence. Aishou often spent her days helping Zelda with cooking and gardening, and she'd taken up prayer to the goddess statue. It took a very long time, but we got her to smile. She did seem somewhat sad when she saw how happy Zelda and I were together, but we realized this and tried to keep our alone time to when we were truly alone. She never said a word about it, but we could tell she appreciated it. Before long, she'd become fiercely protective of Zelda.

One night, while we were sat around a fire, she got to talking about her dreams.

"My dreams are prophetic... they tell me what the future of the world will look like if it continues on its current path."

"Why have the nightmares lessened, then?" Zelda asked. "The world, as far as I can sense, hasn't changed its course much in the past year..."

Aishou got quiet, then. "I don't know," she murmured. "Perhaps there are things you can't sense that have been happening."

"Unlikely," Zelda argued. "I am Hylia's reincarnation, after all."

"Then... I don't know." She nervously excused herself then, deciding she was tired and was ready for bed. Zelda and I gave her questioning looks, but before either of us could speak, she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is way short, but the end just kind of worked, so bear with it. Also, I did put this down as a story with Groose in it... He's coming, I promise. He's actually a really big character in this. xD;

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><p>(Aishou's POV)<p>

Life with Link and Zelda was so easy. I did a little help with the garden and with cooking, they gave me a share of the food, a roof, and a bed. I made my own clothes after Zelda taught me how to sew. I found myself smiling more and more every day. I was persistent with my prayers to the goddess. I had high hopes that it would help my ill fate. But I knew I could never tell them what I was. It would just end badly. So, when Zelda started asking about my nightmares one night... I withdrew. I hadn't thought about how I'd handle it if and when they started asking questions.

For days after that, the communication between us was strained. They knew I was hiding something, and I was unwilling to even admit I was hiding something. We talked as much as was necessary, and that was about it. My dreams were becoming unclear, which troubled me. I knew I would probably have to tell them eventually. But how? How do you tell the reincarnation of the goddess and her chosen hero that you're... you're a monster? They trusted me, let me into their home, the shelter for the master sword and the Triforce... For all they knew, I could turn on them at any moment without warning and take the Triforce for myself. And they'd _hesitate_to take me down. Thoughts of the impending discussion I'd have to have with them loomed over me, sapping my confidence.

The opportunity came when a hoard of monsters invaded Faron. They'd traveled down from the north, in hopes of finding new ground more suited to them. I went with Link to fight them off, thinking perhaps I could be of some use somehow.

When we approached their campsite, Link took a stealthy approach. We agreed that I'd stay behind unless he really needed me. He found his opportunity to strike and did so, quickly obliterating several monsters. I felt a sharp pain in my chest with each strike, and I had a sinking feeling in my gut that said I knew why. After quite some time, the tables were turning and Link wasn't doing so well. I decided to run in and give him one of my own potions. As I got close, the monsters moved away from me and refused to attack. Link took the potion gratefully before looking around at all the monsters expectantly.

"What... what are they all doing?" he murmured, confusion creeping into his expression.

The monsters just watched me, something similar to obedience in their red eyes. It was like they recognized me as a higher being.

Ignoring Link for the moment, I acted on instinct. "Turn back. Go crawl back into whatever hole you came out of," I growled. Almost immediately, they complied, packing their tents and supplies with intent to leave. Link stared in wonder, jaw agape.

"How...? How in the world did you do that?"

I flushed and looked away from him. "I'll explain once we get back to the temple."


	3. Chapter 3

Revealed a tiny bit of Zelda and Link's relationship here. =3= I really like this chapter. It's a landmark for me.

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><p>(Link's POV)<p>

"So you're... explain how you're tied to the darkness again?"

Aishou heaved a guilty sigh and slumped, obviously not enthusiastic about explaining her situation again. "I was created by the last scrap of Demise's power. He intended for me to be a weapon, though it's unclear whose weapon I am. I'm similar to Ghirahim, but... Demise had been reduced to ashes. It'll take him a long time to recover from this. I won't live that long. So it's likely not him..."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Zelda pressed, not wanting to crowd the girl and make herself seem angry but genuinely curious.

"You took me in and nursed me back to health. I couldn't tell you what I monster I was after that... I was afraid you'd force me to leave."

"I can't say having a weapon of the darkness reside in the same space as the reincarnation of Hylia is really a good idea..." I murmured; I wasn't really angry, but I knew something had to be done.

Regardless of my emotion, Aishou shrunk even more. "I'm sorry... I don't want to hurt you, but I'm afraid that if my master finds me, I won't be able to resist his call..."

Zelda and I exchanged glances before she spoke softly to the girl. "Look, we know you wouldn't purposefully hurt us. How about we figure something out tomorrow? It's been a long day for all of us, and I think some rest would be beneficial."

Aishou agreed and trudged off to bed. I could tell her thoughts were troubling her. I sighed once she was out of earshot.

"What should we do? She's a great girl, and it could prove to be advantageous to have the darkness's weapon here, but if she loses control..."

"We'll come up with something," Zelda murmured, kissing me softly. It was an unusual thing for her to do without prompt, and it made me blink and tilt my head at her a bit.

"Oh, don't tell me I need a reason to kiss you. Maybe I just felt like it," she huffed.

"I didn't say you needed a reason, it's just... you've always had a reason before. I don't mind one bit."

"You'd better not," she laughed, nudging me endearingly with her shoulder. I smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me without complaint, content for the moment.

"I can't help but feel like a parent to Aishou..." I murmured after a few moments of silence. Zelda looked up at me curiously.

"Well, you are the one who found her. It makes sense. I understand the feeling, though. I felt that when I was teaching her how to sew. I suppose it's the closest to parenthood we'll ever get..."

"What does that mean?"

"Impa told me a while ago that I was most likely infertile. It makes sense, I suppose... I'm only a mortal with the goddess's soul. I could do something that she never intended to happen if I were to have children." She shrugged a bit then, as if it didn't bother her. "Would you have wanted children?"

I hesitated, trying to think my answer through. We'd never discussed children before this... "I don't really know. It might have been nice to have a son to pass my skills on to."

She stiffened just slightly, but didn't respond otherwise. Apparently we had differing ideas.

"The moon is high. We should get some sleep," she murmured after a while of silence. I quickly agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Enter Groose. D Who doesn't love that lug? Okay, he's a jerk in the beginning, but come on. By the end, he was my favorite character.

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><p>(Link's POV)<p>

As luck would have it, we never needed to discuss the problem of Aishou's lodgings. The perfect opportunity presented itself the next day. Right around midday, Zelda called me outside, by the goddess statue. She seemed really excited, so I curiously followed. I was promptly met with a bear hug from Groose.

"Groose-! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed in surprise, wriggling out of his grasp.

"I decided to visit! Everyone's wondering how things are going on the surface, and I figured you might want an update on Skyloft, too." Groose sat on a nearby stump as he said this.

"Well, it's certainly good to see you." Zelda had a big grin on her face; clearly Groose had been long since forgiven for his unruly behavior before all this happened.

We chatted for quite some time, catching up on the happenings in Skyloft and taking notice of Groose's knight's uniform. Groose asked about us then, and we assured him that everything had been peaceful. That was when something caught his eye.

"Who's that?" he asked, looking at Aishou, who was in the doorway of the temple and looking half ready to bolt.

"Her name is Aishou," Zelda answered.

"She's not-I mean, you haven't..." Groose's eyes got huge, and it took me a moment to realize what he was thinking.

"No no, I found her in the woods one night, maybe a year ago. She was in pretty bad shape, so we took her in and helped her regain her strength."

As I'd been explaining, Zelda went to Aishou and explained who Groose was. It took a large amount of coaxing, but eventually the shy young woman agreed to meet him. Groose watched her with interest, but he caught on to her shyness and kept his distance.

"Where'd she come from?" Groose asked, still watching her.

"I can't remember," she mumbled timidly, keeping her eyes away from him.

Zelda spoke up then. "Unfortunately, we need to find her a new home soon..." She gave Groose a look then, hoping he'd understand what she was trying to say. We hadn't discussed it, but I caught on to her idea quickly.

Groose was silent for a moment before he cautiously inched toward her. She looked up at him for the first time and stiffened, but made no move to run. The red haired man approached then, lowering his towering frame to her level.

"They've told you about their old home in the sky, right?" he asked. She could only nod.

"How would you like to come with me and live up there in Skyloft?"

Her eyes widened. She looked at Zelda and I, fear of losing us in her eyes.

"We could still visit," Zelda soothed. "You'd see us again, I promise."

Aishou seemed to think about the offer for a moment. "If it keeps the goddess safe... I'll do anything."

Groose obviously didn't understand what she said, but he didn't question. "Well, then, when I return, I'll take you with me. How's that?"

Aishou nodded in agreement and left without another word to pack her few belongings. Once she was gone, Groose looked at Zelda questioningly.

"If she wants to tell you," she conceded, "she will. It's hard for her to trust people; give her some time. She'll come around. She's still very fragile."

Groose nodded a bit before looking back to the temple doors. "I'll take care of her. I'll make sure she's in a good home."

The three of us talked some more before Aishou reappeared with a small bag of her belongings. She was putting on a strong face, but I could see how upset she was. I approached her and gave her a tight hug before she left.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered in my ear.

"You're doing the right thing. That's all that matters," I cooed back, petting her hair. When she pulled away, she had little tears forming at the corners of her eyes. I wiped them away for her.

"Do me a favor and smile. It makes you look so pretty."

In spite of herself, Aishou gave a tiny grin at that and blushed. Zelda also gave her a hug goodbye before Groose mounted his Loftwing and helped Aishou on.

"Hope to see you soon!" he shouted as they gained altitude. Once they were out of sight, I looked over at Zelda to see she also had little tears. No words would come; I simply wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tight. She accepted the embrace readily, leaning into me.

"She'll be okay," I murmured. "She'll be okay."


	5. Chapter 5

Hopefully things will speed up in the next chapter or two. When I originally had this idea, this was as far as I got before I stopped myself and forced myself to write it down. XD  
>Roowbin: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! I've been kind of down about it because I haven't been getting feedback here or on dA... but I really hope you keep reading and enjoy. c:<p>

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><p>(Groose's POV)<p>

"Hang on tight!" I called back to Aishou as we made it through the cloud barrier that, once broken, remained broken. She clung to me even tighter than she had been; I could feel her shaking slightly.

"Don't be afraid. You'll love it up here! You've got to keep your eyes open and look around you."

She did as I suggested and looked. When we got to the other side of the clouds, I heard her gasp. I just smirked and made my way to Skyloft, landing as gracefully as I could in the square. I did have a sailcloth, but it'd be hard to drop safely with a first-time flyer.

I offered a hand to help Aishou off my bird. She looked at it oddly for a moment, but accepted. She didn't pay me much mind once she was off; she was enraptured by the scenery around her.

After a few moments of letting her take it all in, I broke the silence. "Beautiful, isn't it? Welcome to Skyloft."

"I've... I've dreamed of this place..." she murmured. She looked to me then. "It's perfect. Thank you."

I blinked at the small smile she gave me. I'd only known her for an hour at most, but I'd already gotten the impression that her smiles were rare. She blushed prettily at my surprise and went back to observing.

"Would you like to explore a little? I need to talk to the headmaster about you, but if you're comfortable on your own for a while, feel free. Just come back here when the sun starts getting low."

She readily accepted the offer and ran off like a small. child with a brand new toy. I couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm as I went off to find headmaster Gaepora.

I found him in the lower level classroom in the academy. "Ahh, Groose... how did the trip go? Were Zelda and Link well?" he boomed, having a naturally boisterous voice.

"They seemed very happy, sir. It was good to see them after so long. Though, there's something I need to talk to you about..."

I explained to him how they'd sent me along with Aishou. He listened intently, nodding his head every once in a while. Once I finished, he waited a moment to take the new information in before responding.

"She sounds like a very nice girl, if a bit shy. Perhaps living here will help bring her out of her shell? As long as you provide lodgings or find a home for her, she can stay here. However, if her stay is to be long term or permanent, I want her to find a Loftwing. She needs a way off the island."

"Will she be able to find a Loftwing she connects with at this age? Usually children are quite young when they meet their bird, and she's at least 20..." I trailed off.

"We'll just have to see. This isn't the first time we've tried. It could work, or it might not. Where is she now?"

"I let her explore the island for a bit. I told her to be back in the square by sunset."

"Then we will hold the ceremony then," he concluded. "She must find a bird as soon as possible!"

We talked more at length about the happenings on the surface for a time. He dismissed me to run some errands before Aishou's ceremony when he'd heard enough. On my way out, I looked over the ledge that led down to the sparring hall to see she'd met Mia and was already quite fond of her. I smiled and watched her leading the little cat around for a moment. She was a very pretty girl; had I been a few years younger, I would've been puffed up and strutting around already for her, but I'd outgrown that during my stay in the sealed temple.

I ran my errands and told a few people of Link and Zelda's condition, then made my way back to the square. I relaxed while I waited for Aishou. Before long, I heard familiar mewling, and I looked in the direction it came from to see Aishou with Mia in her arms.

"Can I keep her?" she asked in an innocent voice.

I laughed a bit and stood. "So you met Mia. I'm sorry, Aishou, but you'd have to talk to headmaster Gaepora about it. She's his remlit."

She deflated a bit at that. "Oh..."

"Don't worry. It's rare that she stays indoors, unless it gets chilly at night. Usually then she'll stay with instructor Horwell, but maybe you can ask him if she can stay with us sometime."

She smiled a little at that thought and petted Mia once more before setting her down. "Will I be staying with you?"

"For now. I don't know if you'll find another home or not. I'm more than willing to offer you lodgings, but right now you're wanted. There's a ceremony the headmaster decided you need to undergo."

She blinked. "A ceremony?"

"You'll see. C'mon, we'll be late."


	6. Chapter 6

Happy, short chapter. c:

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><p>(Groose's POV)<p>

When Aishou and I approached the dock where the Isle of the Goddess had once been, two loftwings were lazily circling around overhead. Normally I would've paid them no mind, but I happened to notice their colors were blue and red. Red was a very rare color for loftwings; the only known living loftwing in recent times had been Link's, which got me thinking. Zelda's loftwing had been a pretty blue, just like the one circling with Link's was...

Before I could really give it much thought, headmaster Gaepora saw us coming and greeted us. "Hello again, Groose. I assume this is Aishou."

Aishou looked somewhat nervously at him, and he smiled reassuringly at her. The headmaster held a hand out for her, and she shyly took it after a moment's thought. He led her closer to the edge before speaking.

"Aishou, as I'm sure you've noticed, everyone in Skyloft has a partner. We are all but half a soul, and are made whole with our birds. Without a bird, we can't leave the island. So, we'd like to welcome you to our home with a bird of your own. Usually children go through this ceremony when they're quite young, so this may or may not work, but it's worth a try.

"Now, I'm going to step back. You stay out here on the ledge. If a bird is tied to you, it will come at your call. Just whistle for it." Gaepora stepped away from her, leaving her looking doubtful. Nonetheless, she whistled as loud as she could.

Both the birds circling above heard the whistle and dove past. I could feel the wind as they passed, and Aishou looked genuinely terrified. I almost went to her, but Gaepora gave me a look that said not to. Not long after the birds went down, they came back up, this time with a younger, smaller bird. The way they flew, it was obvious they were a family. The red and blue loftwings landed on either side, and the young one came to rest in front of Aishou.

She was a lean little bird, with feathers so purple they looked black. Her accented tips were lighter, though; one layer was almost white. She tilted her head at Aishou, and Aishou tilted her head back. The bird lowered its head, and Aishou stroked its head, making the bird almost purr happily at her. Without any instruction, the girl mounted her new loftwing and simply took off, as if she'd been born to fly.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," Gaepora murmured abter she'd left.

I watched her fly for quite some time. "My own ceremony wasn't that quick... but I'm glad she connected the way she did."

The headmaster just smiled a funny kind of smile that said he knew something and left me to my thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK! DDDDD: I went to London for a week and didn't have any time to write and then lost inspiration! I'm also sorry for the fail chapter, I'll try to make it up in the next chapter...

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><p>(Aishou's POV)<p>

I couldn't really explain it if I wanted to. I was flying. That's all there was to it. I'd dreamed of flying a few times, on a graceful black bird as tall as me, but I never realized it could mean something until I saw Groose's bird for the first time.

When I first saw her, I knew her immediately. _Dana._Groose hadn't told me anything about loftwings, but I somehow knew her name right away. Flying had been as natural as breathing. We wheeled around for a while, getting used to each other, and by the time it occurred to me that I wasn't sure how to land, Dana was doing most of it herself. She seemed to pick up on my thoughts; she swooped down and easily landed, as if I wasn't even there. I dismounted and stroked her neck gently. She crooned at me, eyes bright.

"How was it?" I heard Groose call from behind, startling me into turning sharply.

"Incredible," I murmured, still in disbelief.

Groose chuckled and came a little closer. "You look like a kid with a brand new toy. But, I guess that's about right. Let her go, now; she needs sleep just as much as you do."

I looked wistfully back at her, only to realize he was right. She looked exhausted, probably from flying. We hadn't gone far, but I assumed she'd never carried someone before. She was just as new to this as I was.

"I guess you're right..." I sighed, giving her head one last pet before going to Groose's side.

"You're certain about her lodgings, Groose?" the headmaster suddenly asked, startling me a bit; I'd forgotten he was even there.

"Of course. It won't be a problem." Groose nodded a bit at Gaepora and started off in the opposite direction. I followed, unsure of what to expect.


	8. Chapter 8

Oi. I'm really sorry this took so long! _ I know I had at least a few people who were really pushing for an update. Thank you for staying loyal; I'm gonna keep working on this. I just need to work on the overall plot a bit. But, as soon as school's over, I'll have more time to work on it. So, more to come soon, I promise!

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><p>(Aishou's POV)<p>

Groose's home wasn't exactly huge; it had a kitchen area, a table, what seemed to be a toilet and place to wash, some odd machines and a bed. However, something felt... homey about it. It was filled with warmth, a bit to my surprise.

"Well, here we are," Groose announced. "I haven't figured out what we're gonna do about sleeping arrangements yet. Do you care where you sleep?"

I thought for a moment. "I slept in a pile of hay when I was on the surface with Link and Zelda. It... was kind of uncomfortable."

"Then you can have my bed until I get a new one."

"No, it's okay, you can use it." I didn't want to be a bother to this man who'd willingly taken me into his home.

Groose just chuckled at me. "Aishou, I can sleep just about anywhere. Don't sweat it, seriously." He then busied himself setting up a sleeping area for himself on the floor.

I blushed a little at the thought of sleeping with a guy in the same room, just the two of us. Wouldn't it be sort of awkward? Link and Zelda had always shared their bed, and I slept on the other side of the temple, so it wasn't an issue. But this?

_Well, I guess I've been doing a lot of new things today anyway,_I thought to myself. "Are you sure?" I asked him as I sat on the edge of his bed.

"Positive." He smiled up at me from his place sitting on the floor. "I'll see if I can get another bed tomorrow while I'm out. I need to run out to the market anyway. Do you want to come along?"

"..." I blushed a bit and murmured, "What's a market?"

"Oh, right. I guess Link and Zelda probably grew and caught all their food. Well then, I'll take you along and show you what it's like." With that, he went to the various candles in the room and started blowing them out. When he got to the one next to his bed, he patted my shoulder with a smile and said, "Sleep well, okay? Don't be afraid to tell me if you need anything."

I smiled shyly back. "I will, thanks."

Groose blew out the last candle then, leaving us in total darkness. I heard him settling into his little makeshift bed, and after a few moments, he was still. I took my shoes off and curled up under his covers. It felt very odd to be laying in a stranger's bed, especially when said stranger was right next to me, but the day had been long, and before I knew it, I was asleep.


End file.
